Power Trip
by fajitaprincessa
Summary: AU! Dark!Ward Edward Cullen, an antisocial loner, harbors an unhealthy obsession with his brother's girlfriend, Isabella Swan. And he wants her, and when his desires become to much to bear, he allows his darkness to seep out of every pore and is willing to kill aything in his path to get her. "You may not love me now, but you will learn to... in time."
1. Prologue

_**I'm back for the moment, publishing this story. The idea of this has been stuck in my head for awhile, and I was orginally thinking of making it a Harry Potter fic, but decided against it.**_

 _ **Also, this is an AU, which means no vampires, and also a Dark!Ward fic, so if the thought of a sociopathic Edward turns you off, LEAVE.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: oh, and I also don't own Twilight. But, I do, however, own my ideas...**_

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Power Trip

Bella loved flowers.

I remember one summer, when I had rushed inside from the heat to get a glass of lemonade, I saw her, sitting on the kitchen counter, placing my mom's daisies in her long brown hair.

She was nearly naked, wearing a very tight, nearly completely see-through bikini, lounging on my mom's linoleum. Her dark eyes caught sight of me and she smiled.

"Hey, Eddie." I hated that nickname. She must've known that, too, because Jasper was always spilling embarrassing secrets of mine to Bella. She kept smiling, though and I flushed, looking at all of her tanned skin, the freckles on her face and the dimples in her cheeks.

"Hi," I said. She hopped off the counter and walked closer to me. She lightly touched my shoulder. Her dark eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Jasper always told me how skinny you were," she said, laughing lightly. She squeezed my shoulder and then, her hand moved down to grip my bicep. "That's not true at all, though..." then, she brushed past me and walked outside.

I had loved her since the very beginning, before my brother had wanted her. I had always wanted her, from the start, when I first saw her sitting outside, reading. When I used to bike past her house, I remember how she would glance towards me and smile. I remember how when Jasper would wrap his arms around her, her eyes would linger on me for a quick second.

I mean, Bella wasn't anyone's. She wasn't mine, but she definitely wasn't Jaspers.

I had polaroids of her tucked in a binder in between my mattresses. Pictures of her taken from my brothers mess of a drawer, plucked straight from his wallet. I even saved up fifty bucks to go buy a Polaroid to use so I wouldn't have to keep stealing them.

I snapped her when I saw her walking through her dad's garden, and when she was sitting on our kitchen counter, eating ice cream. I captured her beauty whenever I could, and I can't count on one hand how many times I've ran out of film in the past three months, all of them pictures of her.

"About time for you to find a girl, right Edward?" My brother would say at the dinner table. Bella's eyes would sweep over me, a half smirk playing on her face.

"Huh, Eddie?" She would ask, raising an eyebrow. "When are you gonna find the lucky girl?"

"I already have my eyes on one," I'd say, making sure to stare directly at her and mimic her sly smile.

"Ooh,"she would nudge Jasper, who'd laugh.

"I'll believe it when I see her..."

My mom would just sit back and watch, half interested in us, more interested in her wine.

I wanted her more than my brother. More than anyone in the world. She knew that, too, because with every glance, I could see the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

There was just something about her. The way she smiled, the way her eyes would shine when she laughed, her hair falling in her face, falling everywhere, as she choked on giggles.

Jasper didn't deserve her. He would never deserve her. Not now, not even in another lifetime would he ever deserve something so beautiful.

I remembered when she hugged me for the first time. It was as she was leaving a family dinner.

"It was nice meeting you, Edward," she had said, hugging me. I was shocked at first, but then my arms snaked around her slim waist and I tilted my head forwards a bit to smell her hair, which had the strong scent of strawberries.

"You too, Bella."

I knew I loved her. I loved her so much. She just didn't know it yet.

Yet.

XXX

 ** _Thank you for reading and I'm very much looking forward to this story and its characters and just you guys and your reviews, so please review and keep coming back!_**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

I hated Mike Newton.

I've always hated Mike Newton, from when, two years ago freshmen year, he had pushed me into a locker so hard I nearly cracked my skull, to when, just a few months ago, I overheard him speaking about Bella, fawning over her and her looks.

"You think she likes it rough?" Tyler had asked him one day. Mike snorted.

"A girl like _that?_ Of course!" He snickered. "You should see the way she is with that Jasper freak." Mike shook his head in disbelief. "Practically shoves her tongue down his throat. Now, if _I_ was the one hitting that-"

I slammed my books down onto my desk and a few people in the vicinity jumped. Mike and his buddies turned to look towards me. Mike coughed. "You okay, Cullen?"

"Peachy," I managed out. He shrugged and returned to chatting about Bella.

I wanted to bash his head into the fucking walls.

I'd imagined about Bella, too, but not in the way that I had when she had wrapped her small arms around my waist the first time we met, brown eyes peering up at me through a mane of brown hair. I'd thought about her long legs, the softness of her skin, the curves of her body, the way her lips looked when she wore her signature dark red lipstick to Christmas parties. I wanted Bella, not just emotionally, but also physically. I wanted to know what it felt like to wrap my hands in her thick hair.

I wanted it _all._ I wanted Bella Swan and every mole and freckle and ounce of skin.

But I didn't just hate Mike Newton- no, I was pretty certain that I held a mild dislike for every student in Forks, excluding (for some odd reason) Angela Webber, who frequently sat near me in the library. I even held a tinge of dislike for my sister Alice, who seldom went a day without talking everyone's ear off at school.

But she wasn't just a source of annoyance. Alice frequently looped arms with Bella and talked to her in between classes and at lunch, so I had the pleasure of escorting the two of them to classes, listening in closely to their conversations.

"... I don't know, Alice. Sometimes, it just feels… awkward, being with you and Rosalie."

Alice frowned and nudged Bella, squeezing her hand. "Aw, come on, Bella!" Alice's big green eyes were wide and she pouted. "Please! It's homecoming! You haven't been to homecoming since freshmen year!"

"I have my reasons…" Bella muttered and Alice rolled her eyes.

"We have to finish your senior year with a bang! Don't you wanna make memories?"

Bella thought it over. I watched her bite her lip and comb her fingers through her long brown hair before she caved. "Okay, Alice." She shifted her eyes to me. "But I'm only coming if Jasper or Edward comes. I don't feel like third-wheeling with you and Rose the entire time."

Alice beamed and clapped her hands together, jumping up and down. Bella smiled and looked up at me, grinning. "I'm betting on you, Edward. Jasper doesn't really like crowds."

My face flushed slightly, but then I relaxed and leaned down slightly, lazily placing a hand on her shoulder in a friendly manner. I grinned back at her. "Anything for a friend."

Bella laughed. A bell rang for fifth period and Alice scowled, tugging Bella along. Bella waved at me and said goodbye before Alice dragged her off to anatomy.

I stood there for a few moments, my hand warm from where it had touched Bella's arm, and I smiled.

 _Bella, Bella, Bella_

Yes. I wanted Bella. And while she could stay with Jasper for years- while she could grow old with him and _die_ \- there was nothing more satisfying than the occasional touches, the curve of her lips as she joked with me, the polaroids overflowing with pictures of her and her bright smile.

Tragic.

Rosalie Hale was something of an enigma to Forks. When I had first met her when Alice had invited her to sleep over at our home, she looked so out of place, with her tanned skin, blond hair and icy blue eyes. She didn't quite fit in with the washed out complexions of everyone else in Forks.

She had been fifteen and I had been fourteen, and while she never fully approached me head on, I knew the way she gazing at me as I sat, eating a slice of pepperoni pizza on the counter, wasn't because she was mesmerized by the bits of cheese flying from my mouth as I spoke to my dad.

I remember exactly how she had approached me-she had waited for Alice to run upstairs to grab blankets and my dad to disappear into his office to pour over medical reports before plopping down beside me on the counter. "Looks good."

I nodded, flipping through a book that I hadn't been reading in the first place. Rose pursed her lips and quickly snatched the book away. "Hey!"

I attempted to grab it back but she hopped off of the counter, book in hand, a frown on her face. "This is _old_." She held up the cover to _Wuthering Height_ s and she shook her head. "You _like_ reading this stuff?"

I shrugged and reached down to pluck the book from her dainty fingers. Even at fourteen, I was still taller than Rosalie, who towered over teensy Alice. "I like reading in general."

Rosalie rolled her blue eyes then focused back on my face. "Alice says you're boring, you know that right?"

I shrugged. "I bet Alice has called _you_ boring on one occasion. Anyone who can't stand to listen to her speak for more than five hours is boring to her."

Rosalie pouted. "Well, I don't think you're boring." She leaned into my chest, placing her ear against it and brushing her fingers against my bicep. "I think you're really interesting."

"Rose!" Alice shouted from upstairs. "Rose! Come _help me!"_

Rosalie sighed and jumped back. She skipped out of the kitchen, but not before peeking back at me with a grin on her face. "Bye, Edward…"

Ever since then, Rosalie's never really tried to hide her infatuation with me. It was something like how Bella acted with Jasper, but Rosalie with Emmett was a lot bolder and brasher, with a complete disregard to Emmett's presence when I was there.

But I never liked Rosalie. I probably disliked her just because she was _Rosalie._ There was something about her that got underneath my skin.

Something… off.

I didn't like her. I couldn't shake her, either, though,so I guess I was stuck with her until the end of the year.

"How does this look?" Bella did a twirl and gripped a railing to keep herself from falling. Alice clasped her hands together, and then shook her head. Bella groaned. "Alice-"

"-It's too… meh," Alice said, picking another dress from a pile. She threw it to Bella and smiled. "Try that one." Bella groaned again, but didn't argue, and disappeared into the dressing room once again.

Rosalie, who was lounging in a chair nearby, rolled her eyes. "That's the fifteenth one Alice," she said. "We've been here for two hours. Just let her pick one."

I had to admit, even I was growing tired of Alice. Bella emerged a few moments later, dressed in a long, satin red dress that made a stark contrast against her pale skin. I swallowed and she looked at Alice. "Well?"

Alice pursed her lips and closed her eyes. "Fine. That one's fine." Alice plopped down in a chair and clutched her bag. "Let's go pay so we can go get pizza."

Bella let out a sigh. As she made her way to the dressing room, she stumbled slightly, and almost fell. In an instant, I was there, gripping her waist and pushing her back onto her feet. She let out an uneasy laugh. "Thanks, Edward," she looked back at me, flushed. " _Fuck,_ it's hot in here."

Rosalie came to stand by my side, arms crossed. "Edward, the little hero." She shot me a glance and then a cold gaze towards Bella. "Dress is… nice, Bella."

Bella smiled. "Thanks, Rose."

Rosalie smirked and walked up towards Bella, resting a hand on Bella's shoulder. "Smooth… very expensive-" perfectly, one of Rosalie's manicured claws tore a very long strip of fabric from the dress. "Oh!"

Bella let out a yelp and immediately, she started to sweat. The cut made a very long trail down Bella's front, stopping in between her breast. Rosalie grabbed onto Bella and clucked her tongue. "Don't worry. We can just put it back and get another one. No one will notice."

I stared at the long strip of exposed skin, dotted with freckles and moles. My mouth was suddenly dry, and it took Rosalie a few tries to bring me back to reality. " _Edward!"_

I looked at her. "Yes?"

"Go tell Alice we'll meet her outside. Bella and I are going to find another dress."

I nodded, eyes still lingering on Bella's skin. I tore my gaze away and grabbed my jacket.

"I'm so clumsy…" I heard Rosalie mutter under her breath as she swore. "Let's go, Bella. Before someone sees…."

 _Bella, Bella, Bella_

Yes, Bella. Sweet, clumsy Bella. My fingers at her side, her hair brushing against my nose.

 _All of her…_

I wanted it all, from the softness of her skin, to the deep red of the blood underneath her cheeks when she blushed.

I wanted it _all._

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	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Just my plot.**

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 **Chapter Two**

Even in a world where the only focus of my attention was Isabella Swan, I still always held a soft spot for both of my parents, Esme & Carlisle. I'd even say I loved them, and I didn't use that term very often.

Or maybe it was pity. Pity, because they'd been cursed with a son like me, a son who harbored a deep desire- almost… crazed?- for his brothers girlfriend, who pretty much despised any human being he crossed paths with, and who always left dirty dishes in the sink.

But at least they had Alice.

I sat, crisscrossed on my bed, organized a rather large and used folder, filled with random polaroids of Bella, along with and few newspaper clippings from famous crimes years back.

That was my hobby. Besides flipping through pages of classical literature and thinking about how I could kill Mike Newton as clean and effortlessly as possible, I liked to print out old crime stories _decades_ ago. And not just from Forks, but from other towns, too. Port Angeles, obscure towns up North and all around the country.

Funny how the most violent crimes always happen in the quietest of places.

 **LOCAL GIRL FOUND CHOPPED TO PIECES IN SMALL CABIN, TRIPLE-HOMICIDE LINKED TO A YOUNG COUPLE, MURDER-SUICIDE SHAKES SMALL TOWN TO ITS CORE.**

Huh.

I had them pasted all over the place, pages and pages of grisly murders on lined paper. And when I felt like it, I even bothered to place faces to names.

It was, like my collection of my own Bella - centric photography, my secret treasure.

It was the only hobby I had, and I was fully convinced that without that _and_ Bella, I would've chopped Mike Newton up and dumped his body parts into the cliff overlooking La Push.

"Edward!" Esme's voice floated up the stairs and I quickly shoved my binder in between my mattress.

Jasper, cool and collected, sat lounging on the sofa, Bella curled up in his lap, whispering into his ear and occasionally letting out a giggle.

"Yes," I asked, eyeing Bella's long hair curiously.

Esme was sitting, idly flipping through home decor magazines. "Jasper wanted to talk to you. About homecoming plans."

Jasper gently nudged Bella off, and tucked his hands into his pockets. "Yeah!" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Your not busy Saturday, right?"

"He's never busy," Bella added with a teasing smile.

"It's true," I said. I watched Bella skip over to Esme and look over her shoulder. "I'm not."

"We were going to the movies afterwards," Jasper said. "Bella thought it would be nice to invite you, seeing how you typically spend your Saturday nights… alone." Jasper made sure to add a light laugh at the end of it, and he scratched the back of his head. "Maybe something scary. I don't know."

"We're leaving an hour early to beat late-night lines," Bella swung her legs over the counter and landed next to me, letting an arm drape across my shoulder. "I want _you_ to come, because Alice wants Rosalie to come-" she shot a slightly annoyed look towards Jasper,"-because _you're_ the only person who sees Rosalie for who she _really_ is."

"And what's that?" Jasper asked, wiggling an eyebrow.

"A raging _cu-"_

"-Bella!" Esme interjected and Bella shrugged.

"Sorry," she said, but I was laughing. Jasper even joined in, and for a minute, it was just us, laughing around as Esme sat, sour-faced. Bella's arm sat around my shoulders, warm, and her long brown hair was tickling my thigh.

This was how it should've been from the very beginning. In a different world, Bella would've been mine from the very beginning, and it would be Jasper sitting, watching Bella curled up in _my_ lap, whispering in _my_ ear, and running her fingers along my jawline.

Bella pulled away, wiping a tear from her eye and falling back into Jasper's arms, and I swallowed a growl as she peppered his face with kisses, leaving Jasper flushed.

"I'll come," I said. "Then, we can _both_ talk about how awful Rosalie is."

Bella beamed and clapped her hands together, flinging herself towards me and hugging me, burying her nose into my chest. "You're the _best,_ Edward."

 _Another world, a different time,_ I thought. _Mine from the start…_

Bella pulled away all too soon and then quickly returned to Jasper. "Maybe _Edward_ can be my boyfriend for the night, since you love kissing Rosalie's ass so much."

Jasper chuckled, but I didn't laugh. I was too busy staring at Bella, who was eyeing me suggestively. "Huh, Edward?"

"We'd have a lot in common," I said, not really there, thinking.

"We would." Bella hooked her arms around Jasper's waist. "But just for one night," she said. "Jasper's mine _forever._ "

And with those words, she pressed her mouth to Jasper's, and his long fingers ran themselves through her thick hair. His arms encircled her waist, then, and he pulled her close.

Esme wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was humming along to some song.

 _His fingers… my fingers…_

"I have to go clean," I said. Bella broke away from Jasper for a moment to look at me.

"Don't forget!" Bella said.

"I won't," I replied. "I promise!" And then she returned to kissing Jasper, giggling in between.

Upstairs, in my room, I ripped my binder from underneath the bed, locking my door and throwing it onto my bed, where it's contents spilled out.

I flicked through pages of newspaper clippings and polaroids before finding blank space, and I found a pen.

 _Different world, different time…_ I thought. _Settle for occasional touches…_

But the life with Bella I had envisioned in my dreams, hoped for maybe in a different universe, where she wasn't Jasper's (or maybe she was, and I was able to pull her from him) suddenly didn't sate my desires anymore. Those looks from Bella or fleeting touches weren't sustaining anymore.

Not when it was her lips on Jasper's, her mouth so very close to his ear, whispering _God_ knows what to him.

 _Bella, Bella and her lips, Bella and her smile, Bella and her_ skin.

 _Mine, mine, mine, mine…_

Mine from the start. Mine from the very beginning, mine until the very end.

She just didn't know it. Not yet.

My handwritten was messy, but neat enough so I could come back to it for later reference. The ideas were incredibly convoluted and rash, and would no doubt result in more than just a reprimand from my parents.

 _GO DOWNSTAIRS, BEAT JASPER BLOODY_

 _KILL JASPER AT THE MOVIES, TAKE BELLA_

 _KILL MIKE NEWTON (_ that one didn't have any thing to do with Bella. I just really _hated_ Mike Newton)

But the all had the same overarching idea: take Bella. And while I may not have had a serious plan then, Bella would be mine, whether I had to yank her from Jasper's dying arms by force, or through her own willingness (but Bella was stubborn, so it was definitely going to be the former) Bella would be mine.

 _Mine mine mine._

And she would forget Jasper. I'd carve my name into her brain, so that the only thought that ran through her mind was my name, my fingers on her skin, the burn of my lips against her flesh.

It would be as if Jasper never existed.

Bella would be mine.

In time.

And she'd love me, no matter how I made it come about.

She'd love me, just like it should've been from the very start.

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	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

" _Edward!"_

On accident, I had titled over Alice's bottle of Gatorade onto her sky blue blouse. She stood up quickly and a shrill shriek escaped her throat as she vigorously attempted to scrub the stain off with a napkin.

It was, for the first time in a few weeks, relatively sunny outside, and the usual chill was replaced with a warm breeze. It had been cloudy for most of the morning, but streams of sunlight managed to break through the clouds and currently, Rosalie was sitting on top of our table outside, basking in the sun.

"Stop," I ordered, grabbing Alice's wrist. "Go to the bathroom, Alice. You're only making it worse."

Alice frowned and let out an annoyed sigh. "You owe me a new blouse, Edward."

I shrugged. "Just use bleach." Alice snatched her wrist away and nudged Rosalie.

"I'll be right back," she said, clutching her blouse, and scurried off to the restroom.

It was quiet for a few moments, a tranquil Rosalie sitting, combing her fingers through her golden hair, before coughing abruptly and turning to look at me. "Wonder where Bella is?"

I stabbed at my salad and made a disgusted face. I should've gotten pizza. "Who knows?"

Rosalie shook her head and laughed, climbing down from her perched position to sit towards me, her knee brushing against my thigh. "Ever wonder what her and Jasper do when they're _really_ alone?" I made a slight face and pushed my salad away in disgust and she laughed. " _Right?_ I mean, have some decency."

"What…. What Jasper and Bella do when no one's around is really none of my business. _I_ was just grossed out by the salad." Rosalie rolled her eyes and rested her blond head against my shoulder.

"Mm…" She peeked up at me through her long lashes. "But I mean, I can't blame Jasper. Bella _is_ pretty." She backpedaled right after. "You know, in a plain-jane type way, I guess."

That struck a nerve slightly, but I swallowed the cold remark that tried to claw it's way up my throat and out of my mouth. "I mean, she can't be _that_ plain. Jasper wants her," I argued.

"Jasper-" Rosalie broke off and laughed, and the conversation dropped for a minute before Rosalie piped up again. "What do _you_ think of Bella?"

That caught me off guard. I paused playing with my fork and Rosalie pushed herself off of me so she could properly look me in the eye. I swallowed, then added a casual shrug. "She's pretty, I guess."

Rosalie studied me, and it made me slightly uncomfortable, and I suddenly felt as though something was crawling under my skin. "I suppose…" Rosalie said finally.

At that moment, Alice appeared, beaming and holding out her blouse for us to see. "All I did was use some of that cheap soap in the bathroom. _Amazing,_ right?"

Rosalie wrapped an arm around Alice's shoulder and smiled, gasping slightly. "Looks _amazing,_ Alice." The bell sounded for sixth period and Rosalie hugged Alice, pecking her on the cheek. "I'll see you after school?"

Alice nodded and Rosalie pulled away. On her way towards the school entrance, she brushed past me and shot me a look that I couldn't quite read, before disappearing into a sea of bodies.

Rosalie gave me an itch. An itch under the surface of my skin that made me want to cut open the flesh to get at it.

And I didn't know why.

* * *

 **TEENAGE GIRL STILL MISSING, THREE MONTH SEARCH CONTINUES ONWARD**

I tapped the last article into my notebook and shoved it back in between my mattresses, sighing.

 _Rosalie…_

Something about her, something about the way she mentioned Bella, those mysterious looks…

It had me on edge. What did _she know?_

Bella had swooped in earlier and took off with Jasper a little over an hour ago, tugging him away. She had, of course, given me a hug, and I took advantage, inhaling the scent of fresh strawberries in her hair and brushing my fingers against the slither of exposed flesh as she raised her arms to hug me.

" _Stay cool, Eddo,"_ she had said, and I lay in my bed, flexing my fingers as the feeling of her warmth on my fingers continued to heat my fingertips.

Oh, yes. I hadn't forgotten about the plans that remained scribbled out in my notebook, or the rows of ideas that had flooded out my head that lay burned to ash in my trash bin.

I wouldn't call them "plans" to he honest- more like compilations of different ways to rip Bella from Jasper's arms, composed in a fit of rage.

 _Esme's lamp to Jasper's head._

 _Carlisle's scalpel to Jasper's neck_

 _Kill Mike Newton (_ that one didn't have anything really to do with Bella. I just really _hated_ Mike Newton).

All great, all burned to ash.

So I, being the weary dragon that I was at the moment, would retreat to my cave of solitude. But I wouldn't remain dormant. Opportunity would present itself.

I just had to be patient. Patience was key.

I flexed my fingers again, the scent of Bella's hair lingering on my fingers.

 _Soon._


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

"...The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness." Mr. Molina turned to the class, dropping his dry erase marker down onto his desk. "Can anyone tell me what that means?"

Silence, save for the occasional pops of Jessica Stanley's gum as she sat next to me, throwing glances at Mike Newton while also staring at the left side of my face.

A pale hand shot up and instantly, Mr. Molina jerked his head in its direction, a fond smile on his face. "Yes, Bella?"

"I think what Nabokov is trying to say is that _this_ -," Bella waved her hand around in the air," is a relatively small part of our… existence. He's saying that what's waiting for us after we leave this world is much bigger than this."

"And the cradle?" Mr. Molina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bella shrugged and blushed slightly. "I-I don't know, sir."

Mr. Molina sat on his desk, pondering Bella's answer. Then, he smiled and turned to address the entire class. "Does _anyone_ know what the cradle _is_. Why does Nabokov feel compelled to compare our existence to a cradle rocking above an abyss?"

I sat, silent, staring at the back of Bella's head, idly sketching the shape of her head and her thick mane of hair, her slim shoulders, her shoulder bones that protruded slightly as she hovered over her desk, staring at her fingers.

 _The cradle…._

"I'm not going to tell you," Mr. Molina said. "Instead, you all, have an assignment." There were collective groans and Mr. Molina rolled his eyes. "Settle down… Now, what I want you all to think about is what exactly _is_ the cradle. Why does he compare this life, this _existence_ , to a cradle rocking above an abyss." Mr. Molina moved to sit behind his desk, clasping his hands together. "I want you all to write me a paper- 1 page is fine, front and back- about how _you_ interpret this cradle, along with life, and the possibilities that lie ahead once we're all dead." Mr. Molina stood to write on the board. "I want this paper by May 10th. Just twelve days before the end of the year."

The bell rang out and I and everyone else shoved our books into our bags. "Have a good afternoon, everyone!" Mr. Molina said, sitting back down and pulling out his phone.

I caught up with Bella and I clasped my hand onto her shoulder. She jumped slightly, but then relaxed when she saw it was me. "Hi, Edward," she said, smiling.

"The cradle," I said, grinning. "What do _you_ think, Isabella?"

Bella simply threw her head back and let out a laugh. She pushed her hair behind her ears and gave me a sly smile, her brown eyes twinkling. "You'll know what I think by May 12th," she said, and then she was off, blending in with the crowd and leaving me alone.

 _Bella, Bella, Bella._

I realized that I would much rather ponder the thoughts that went through Bella's mind, rather than a simple cradle rocking above an abyss.

* * *

"An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind," Rosalie's voice said. Her blue eyes were focused on me and she smiled. "What do you think of that, Edward."

Rosalie sat comfortably across from me on the couch, her long legs stretched out. She tilted her head to the side.

"The cycle of revenge is never ending," I said. Rosalie though this over before making a note of it in her journal.

"Interesting… oh! What about this one?" She cleared her throat. "You are the smell before the rain, you are the blood in my veins…"

I smiled, an image of a smiling Bella flashing into my mind before disappearing quickly. "She is everything that makes him whole. Without her, he's nothing."

"You smiled when I said that one. Do you have anyone special in mind?" She asked. Her crystal blue eyes seemed to darken slightly, and her smile curled into something like a Cheshire smirk.

"Who knows?" I asked.

"Petrichor," murmured Rosalie. "That's what you call the smell before rain. Did you know that, Edward?"

"Not at all, Rose," I answered, working out my calculus problems.

She laughed. "What do you think of that? The way he feels about about her?"

"Love is," I said, closing my notebook. "Intense. But only if it's true. Those lyrics kind of embody the intensity of that type of love."

Rosalie closed her book and shifted so that her foot was resting on my knee, and slowly creeping upwards. "I wonder if that's the type of love Jasper and _Bella_ have."

I didn't like the emphasis she put on Bella's name. I didn't like the way it sounded rolling off her tongue, _tauntingly_ almost.

Or maybe I was just reading to far into it.

Rosalie _did_ hate Bella.

"God, I hope so," I responded, and abruptly stood. I was beginning to walk upstairs to my room when Rosalie hopped over the couch to stand in front of me, a hand grabbing onto my bicep.

"Who do _you_ love, Edward? I can see it in your eyes. And you _know_ how good I am at reading people."

I smirked, then leaned down, pushing her golden behind her ear. "That is for me to know and for _you-,"_ I said, gripping her wrist harshly," to _never_ find out."

I released her and continued on upstairs, leaving Rosalie standing near the staircase, her face expressionless, eyes narrowed to slits as she stared after me.

And I'd keep my love for Bella a secret from _everyone_ until the very end. Everyone except her.

I'd take that secret to my grave.


	6. Chapter Five

**So, first off, I just want to say I'm sorry about my short hiatus from writing, but I want to let you guys know that these past three weeks, I've been writing this story pretty much whenever I have free time, just because I love it that much, and I want to say thank you guys for your support and sticking around.**

 **ALSO: On wattpad, under the username hollovvs, I've posted a story entitled Colors of Him, which is boyxboy, but not the M-rated kind. If you want, you can check that story out, and I would really appreciate your guys's support on there as well!**

 **Chapter Five**

 _Thursday_

2 more days until Homecoming.

An entire week I spent watching Alice flip through magazines and watch makeup tutorials, and scrutinize a myriad of different dresses. An entire week I spent lounging on our couch, Watching Bella run her hands over the soft fabric of her long dresses, and an entire week I spent listening to Rosalie and her constant whining.

"You know," Bella said to me as she sat down next to me on the couch,"I'm actually _really_ looking forward to this." A smile graced her face as she turned to stare at me. "Making memories. At the end of May, Jasper and I will be leaving for California."

"I'm going to miss you," I said. "Who else is going to listen to me complain about Rosalie?"

She threw her head back and laughed, her body trembling with laughter, and I sat back and watched her wipe tears from her eyes as she focused back on me. "I'm going to miss you, too, Edward."

 _Mine,_ I thought. _If she had been mine from the very beginning, maybe things would've been different…._

That's when I _knew_ I had to start putting more effort into my planning. Before May, at least, when Bella would be gone for four years.

"Bella?" Jasper strolled into the living room and I saw Bella's face light up with the usual bright smile she gave him and I pushed back the fury that was boiling over inside of me when he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and kissed her long and hard. "You smell good."

She giggled. "It's Alice's perfume. She let me try some."

"I like it," Jasper murmured in content, and he kissed the crown of her forehead before looking at me, smiling. "Hey, Edward."

"Hey," I said and threw him a crooked smile.

"Aren't you gonna miss your little brother when you're gone?" Bella asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Jasper shrugged. "Meh. Sometimes, he eats my Ramen when I'm not looking." Bella playfully punched him on the shoulder and he laughed. "Easy, easy. I'm just kidding. Of _course_ I'm gonna miss Edward."

Jasper moved to sit next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. "My _only_ brother." I grinned.

Yes, in a world where Bella had been _my_ Bella, I would reciprocate all of Jasper's feelings of brotherly love wholeheartedly.

But this wasn't a different world, and because of it, Jasper had to be gone. _Gone, gone, gone._

* * *

After school on Friday, I opted to skip out on going to get pizza with Alice, Jasper, and Bella. Instead, I decided to go to a local cafe, but not before a rather unwanted visitor tagged along.

Rosalie caught me before I could get into my Volvo. "Need some company?"

I shrugged at her and she climbed in on the passenger side, grinning from ear to ear.

"This is nice…" Rosalie murmured as she stared out her window. Her blue eyes shifted around as she took in the trees, houses, winding streets. "You know Edward, these past few years, I've come to consider you something as a friend."

"Really?" I asked. "That's nice."

She chuckled. "Edward Cullen. Always so cold."

When we stopped at a red light, I turned and looked at her. Rosalie _was_ beautiful, with her long, thick golden hair, tanned skin, and eyes as blue as the ocean, the soft curves of her body.

That's another thing. Maybe if you plucked Bella from the equation, there was a chance that I _could_ have reciprocated Rosalie's feelings.

"What are you thinking about?" There was Rosalie again, purring, inching closer to me, long blond hair brushing against my thigh as she leaned closer towards me. "About me….?"

When I didn't answer, she rolled her eyes. "Why don't to ever talk to me, Edward?"

"I talk to you," I said,"sometimes."

" _Sometimes,_ " Rosalie said. She leaned back into her seat and combed her fingers through her hair, sighing. "Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours, Edward."

I stopped at a red light. "I bet you do," I said and she gave me one of her typical smiles, curled upwards, slightly unnerving. "What?"

"I think you're forgetting that I'm _very_ smart, Edward." She bit her index finger as she peered up at me. "I'm a _people person._ "

Her fingers reached out to touch my shoulder and I stiffened at her touch, her fingers ice cold, as if Rosalie didn't have a heart to pump blood through her veins.

"I know everything about everyone. There's not a person in this town who can hide from me." She squeezed my shoulder tight and I began to pull up at the cafe. "One day, Edward, sooner or later, I'm gonna crack _you_ open and read you like a book."

I'm about to snap back at her, or give her some smart ass remark that will have her rolling her eyes and blowing cool air from hers lips like she always does, but when I place my car in park, she hops out too fast, giggling girlishly.

She reached back in to grab her wallet and when she does, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "See you tomorrow night, Edward," she murmured, laughing in my ear.

As I stepped out of my car, I realized that Rosalie had disappeared, probably into the small crowds around the many small cafes and pizzerias.

The itch was back, except now, it was more pronounced than last time, and the minor annoyance it gave me had managed to evolve into a chilling sensation that put me on edge, and the minor inconvenience I had always perceived Rosalie had turned into something else.

Someone to avoid.

I had always avoided Rosalie, but more so because of my general dislike for her and her conniving behavior. But now, I was beginning to grow wary of Rosalie and her enigmatic ways.


End file.
